In many different segments of the society a situation frequently arises in which one or more individuals seek to communicate with other individuals to guide or control the operation of machines, vehicles or the like utilizing the use of hand signals. During day light hours such signaling may be communicated using brightly colored flags or paddles or the like. Typical users of such hand held devices include police officers guiding traffic, airline ground crew members guiding aircraft on the ground, road construction workers taking care to route drivers past a potential hazard, and emergency personal at the scene of a vehicle accident. In most such situations the presently available brightly colored flags and paddles and the like may serve very well. However, in the darkness of night such brightly colored paddles and flags are often invisible in the absence of illumination from a vehicle or portable light source ect. Faced with this problem practitioners in the art have developed a variety of illuminated devises which are visible in the dark due to the creation of their own illumination and thereby their own enhanced visibility. While a variety of flashlights and battery powered lanterns have been used in such activities, perhaps the most common is provided by converting a basic flash light having a cylindrical body, a reflecting mirror and an energized light bulb together with a light transparent or translucent lens member secured to the flashlight. The translucent member is often shaped as a cylinder or may be conical. In some structures, a clear path through the outer end is provided to maintain some of the flashlight beam capability while the remainder is brightly colored and frosted to provide illumination of the cone itself.
In addition, many other persons not directly connected by occupation such as emergency workers, police or air ground crews nonetheless place one or more of such signaling devices within their vehicle to be used in the event a vehicle accident occurs and such devices are needed on an emergency basis. Not surprisingly the type used generally by such persons substantially mirrors the flashlight-like device described above.
As the design of conventional flashlights remains subject to several limitations of performance, so like wise does the design of such signaling units or wands. For example, a limited quantity of battery power is available within the device batteries and the design of the unit frequently attempts to balance the illumination power needed for effectiveness against the anticipated or required battery life. In the same manner, illuminated wands or other signaling devices must balance battery power and light output. In this aspect the effectiveness of the illuminated unit such as the opaque cone is an important criteria. Moreover, it is desirable the such units when used as lighted wands for communication and emergency purposes be sufficiently visible against varying backgrounds that attention thereto may be assured during use. Finally, the existing problems of reliability which includes use in rain and other potentially damaging weather is ever present.
Generally speaking, it is a fact of life that brighter illumination proves to be more eye catching and visible but does so at the expense of battery life. Conversely attempts to extend battery life generally result in a reduction of visibility and eye catching quality.
In addition to the brightness-power consideration, conventional devises may have difficulty attention in an environment such as a vehicle collision in which large numbers of colored lights ect. are present. This aspect of getting the attention of a vehicle driver or other person in the mist of such colored light scene is an important aspect in providing an improved lighted wand for use at night.
There remains therefore, a continuing need in the art for evermore improved lighted wands suitable for use in a dark or night time environment.